Europe is a popular travel destination for many reasons: its rich history attracts historians; its grand cities marvel visitors with eclectic architecture and centuries-old facades; the diversity among its different countries and cities make Europe favorable to nearly everyone; its skiing, hiking and running trails, and breathtakingly beautiful mountains and landscapes, attract adventurers and outdoors persons from around the globe.

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Training is the real litmus test for ultrarunners, because you simply can’t do this sport without putting in tons of miles over several months. Progress is measured in slow increments, and you won’t really know if all the effort is paying off until mon

The word inspiration has almost become cliché these days. It’s so overused the true meaning has been diluted and cheapened. Yet there’s no denying that the words others say to us can have the power to, well, inspire.

I guess running the race you also direct is like having someone else make you a sandwich. Or like being a guest at your own dinner party. The food tastes better, the people seem more interesting, the presentation more inspiring.

The Wall Street Journal published an article this week stoking a debate within the ultra-running community, about using Marijuana. On the surface it’s an easy question to answer: THC is a performance enhancing drug and is illegal over specified levels in competition, so using it is cheating. Cheating is unethical. Case closed.

I have noticed non-runners beginning to lump all ultrarunners into one homogenous group – a new stereotype of sorts. There are a few traits that are commonly attributed to ALL ultrarunners that I really feel are inaccurate. To set the record straight, here are some of the most egregious ones.

London is flush with idyllic gardens, grand estates and impressive buildings, bridges and museums. Many of the city’s treasures can be absorbed, although perhaps not fully appreciated, after just a few minutes of viewing. If you want to see some of the iconic highlights of London quickly and efficiently, consider the London Scenic Route.

The Quick & Dirty is a new column on UltraRunning.com by Matt Flaherty. The column will report on breakout performances, top age group performances, new talent on the trails, and other compelling stories from ultrarunners around North America.